Patient Stories

Julie - Shoulder Labral Tear Repaired

David J. Novak, MD

Thanks to my care at OrthoVirginia, I can...finally play tennis, the sport I love again.

As a senior in high school already signed to play tennis for Notre Dame, I had to make the tough decision of whether or not to get surgery. I had been working with Dr. Novak for my shoulder pain for a few months, trying physical therapy, cortisone shots, and nothing completely eliminated my pain. We went the surgical route, and thanks to Dr. Novak, I was back playing matches less than a year after surgery. Two years after surgery, I was able to help my team reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament by clinching the final match in a grueling third set against Northwestern. Honestly, I owe a lot of that match to Dr. Novak. That was the toughest match physically I had in college and a match that my shoulder wouldn't have been able to endure if it weren't for Dr. Novak's great care. Thank you again Dr. Novak for helping me get back to playing the sport I love!

Unfortunately, my last two years of college tennis were limited by FAI. I have been seeing Dr. Parker since August for my hips, of which both he repaired in the past 4 months. Thanks to Dr. Parker as well, I am hoping to get back on the court to keep playing the sport I've been playing since I was 3. Also a huge thank you to Kristin, Matt, and the staff at the Arlington OrthoVirginia for helping me the past 4 months with my recovery!